The Dinner Game

By Rene Riding

Based on a true story

“Breaking bread from house to house, [they] did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart” (Acts 2:46).

09689_000_046

The spicy scent of spaghetti sauce wafted through the air as Joseph and his family sat down for Sunday dinner. Dad said the prayer, and the food started its way around the table.

“Let’s play Movie Quotes!” Joseph declared.

Movie Quotes was his favorite game to play around the dinner table. His mom, dad, and two sisters, Jill and Julia, enjoyed the game too. One person would quote from a movie the family had seen. Then everyone else would try to be the first one to guess which movie the quote was from.

“Perhaps we should play a different game,” Mom said. “Since it’s Sunday, maybe we should play Scripture Quotes.”

“What’s that?” Joseph asked.

“I’ll think of a quote from the scriptures, and all of you try to guess who said it,” Mom said.

Joseph rested his chin on his hand. Then a smile swept across his face as he remembered his Primary lesson from earlier that day. Sister Morris had talked about the time Jesus’s disciples had tried to keep some children from approaching Him. “‘Suffer the little children to come unto me,’” Joseph said.

Once again Julia raised her hand. “Jesus said that.”

“You guessed it!”

They played until everyone had finished dinner.

Later that night, as Mom tucked Joseph into bed, he said, “I guess that game wasn’t so bad after all.”

“You came up with a really good quote today,” Mom said.

“Thanks. Can we play it again next Sunday?”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Mom said. She gave him a hug and a kiss and left his room.

Joseph snuggled into his covers, smiling. A new Sunday tradition had just begun.

“Become acquainted with the lessons the scriptures teach. … Study them as though they were speaking to you, for such is the truth.”